POWER "BLINKS"

Have you noticed your lights flicker during a storm or you return home from running errands to find the digital clock on your microwave flashing? You have likely experienced a brief power disruption. 

Fall River Electric operates a very reliable power system, and the Cooperative invests millions of dollars annually to make improvements and upgrades however, storms, tree limbs, birds or small animals like squirrels can cause a brief power interruption. Power blinks are a sign that our power grid is working properly. Blinks are created when a breaker, or switch, opens along any portion of the power system. The breaker usually opens because of a large, quick rise of electrical current. When this happens, a relay senses the fault and tells the breaker to open, preventing the flow of power to the problem site. After opening, the breaker quickly closes. The brief delay, which allows the fault to clear, usually lasts 2 seconds. If the fault clears, every home or business that receives electricity off that power line has just experienced a blink. Fall River also installs bird/small animal guards on some lines/poles and our right-of-way clearing of trees and bush near our power lines also helps reduce blinks and outages. 

We encourage our members to install protective devices such as surge protector power strips to safeguard sensitive electronic equipment in your home or business. Equipment such as televisions and computers can be susceptible to power blinks. So, the next time you experience a "blink," be assured that our system is operating properly, protecting electrical equipment, and ensuring that as few members as possible experience any resulting power outage.